Compact wireless antennae mounting with electrostatic discharge protection
A set top box comprises multiple antennae (15) are positioned outside the periphery of the printed circuit board (5). The antennae can be vertically oriented (15V) or horizontally oriented (15H). The antennae (15) are maintained at least 20 mm from a heatsink (6) and the printed circuit board (5) to prevent electrostatic discharge. The set top box includes vents (14) in the bottom frame (2) outside the periphery of the printed circuit board (5) to promote heat dissipation.
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This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 365 of International Application PCT/US2014/061692 filed Oct. 22, 2014, which was published in accordance with PCT Article 21(2) on Apr. 30, 2015 in English and which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/894,985, filed Oct. 24, 2013, and of U.S. provisional application 62/009,538, filed Jun. 9, 2014.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/894,985, filed Oct. 24, 2013 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/009,538, filed Jun. 9, 2014, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present principles relate generally to electronic devices and, more particularly, to electronic devices with at least one wireless antenna.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONConsumer/market preference for set top boxes and the like (such as computers, game consoles, DVD players, CD players, etc.) is to have such devices be small/compact. However, this requirement is becoming increasingly challenging, because set top boxes and the like are required to perform more functions, which require more internal components.
Wireless antennae are one key component of many set top boxes and the like. Wireless antennae for set top boxes are most often rectangular in shape and must be oriented inside the box to give the best performance possible. This means that there should be adequate clearance from metal parts in the box and that placement and orientation of antennae must be as diverse as possible within the box.
Further, to minimize the risk of electrostatic discharge associated with antennae, the major form of set top boxes were enlarged to accommodate the vertical orientation of wireless antennae.
Alternatively, when such larger sizes of the set top box or the like are not deemed acceptable to the customer's preference, antennae have been oriented horizontally. This has unfortunately reduced antennae performance. As such, the trade-off has been that smaller size boxes commensurate with a horizontally oriented antenna have been produced with non-optimal antenna performance. In short, with the consumer/market aesthetics preference for electronic devices such as set top boxes to be as small and slim as possible, horizontal form factors are often the result and required.
As such, a need exists for an antenna assembly that can function properly as an antenna, but yet meet consumer/market aesthetic requirements for a sufficiently slim electronic device in which there is a reduced propensity for electrostatic discharge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn electronic device is provided that comprises: a vertically oriented front wall (16); a first side wall (17A) connected to a first end of the front wall to form a first corner; a second side wall (17B) connected to a second end of the front wall to form a second corner; a first antenna assembly (15H, 15V) positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the first corner; a second antenna assembly (15H, 15V) positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the second corner; and a circuit board (5) having a peripheral edge, wherein the antenna assemblies are positioned outside the peripheral edge. The first and the second antenna assemblies each can comprise an elongated planar antenna body having a major axis and a minor axis, wherein the major axis of each of the elongated planar antenna bodies of the first and the second antenna assemblies can be oriented vertically or horizontally. The elongated planar antenna body of the first antenna assembly can be oriented perpendicularly to the elongated planar antenna body of the second antenna assembly. The elongated planar antenna body of the first antenna assembly can further be oriented parallel to the vertically oriented front wall and the elongated planar antenna body of the second antenna assembly can further be oriented parallel to the first or second side wall.
In an embodiment of the invention, the electronic device can further comprise a horizontal bottom casing (2) from which the vertical front wall and the first and second side walls extend; and slots (19) formed into the horizontal bottom frame into which ends of the elongated planar antenna bodies are positioned, wherein the slots are defined by peripheral inner wall that surrounds vertically oriented sides of the ends of the elongated planar antenna bodies.
In another embodiment, the electronic device comprises: a horizontal bottom casing (2) from which the vertical front walls and the first and second side walls extend; and two pairs of U-shaped pockets (18), each of the pairs of the U-shaped pockets having vertically oriented slots that face each other, wherein at least a portion of opposing ends of each the elongated planar antenna body is positioned in the vertically oriented slots.
The electronic device in the embodiments can further comprise a heat sink (6) contacting the circuit board, wherein the heat sink has a peripheral end and the antenna assemblies are positioned outside the peripheral end. The first and the second antenna assemblies can each comprise elongated planar antenna bodies having a major axis and a minor axis and the elongated planar antenna bodies are positioned at least 20 mm from the peripheral end of the heat sink and the peripheral edge of the printed circuit board. The heat sink can substantially follow the lateral outline of the circuit board.
The electronic devices in the embodiments can further comprise vents (14). The vent can be formed on the first and second side walls beyond the respective lateral depths of the respective antenna assemblies of the respective side walls. Vents (14) can also be in the horizontal bottom casing in lateral positions outside the lateral positions of the antenna assemblies.
The electronic device in the embodiments can comprise dummy vents in the horizontal bottom casing and at least in one of the first or second side walls adjacent the antenna assemblies.
The invention will be explained in greater detail in the following with reference to embodiments, referring to the appended drawings, in which:
The invention is directed to electronics devices such as set top boxes and the like which include antennae such as the set top box is shown in
It should be noted that the heat management system of the device according to embodiments of the invention can be a very important feature of the invention, especially when one needs to reduce the size of the electronic device. As such, the heat management system can advantageously work in concert with the antennae design disclosed herein. The reason is reducing the size of the housing in such devices disadvantageously concentrates the internal components and can cause detrimental overheating. As such, the heat sink 6 can be advantageously employed to provide a heat dissipating feature that efficiently removes heat from the circuit board 5. The heat sink 6 can have a top plan profile that completely covers the circuit board 5 or substantially covers the circuit board 5 such that at least 80% of the circuit board 5 is covered. The heat sink 6 can include a thermal contact pad. The heat sink 6 is a contoured plate that has a generally planar periphery and a recessed feature such as a central depression into a plane of the planar periphery, wherein the planar periphery preferably surrounds the central depression. The central depression has side walls extending from the planar periphery and forming an obtuse angle therewith. The central depression has a flat bottom that is designed to contact the circuit board 5, the heat generating components on the circuit board 5, and/or the thermal pad.
In sum, a feature of the invention is that the antenna assemblies should be clear of metal components. This can be ensured by having the antenna assemblies being positioned outside the periphery of the printed circuit board. Ideally, no part of the antenna assemblies should be within 20 mm of metal components; as such, no part of the antenna assemblies should be within 20 mm of printed circuit board, because the main printed circuit board can include metal components thereon.
When operational performance of the antennae are deemed more important, mounting the rectangular antennae so that the long axis is oriented vertically is often required for the best performance. By orienting mounting foot details on the bottom of the set top box, it is possible to position antennae in ideal antennae locations and fit the antennae vertically. This allows the major form of the set top box to be thinner than the height of the vertical antennae; however, since foot mounting locations often require a hole for mounting rubber feet, there is the chance for electrostatic discharge to reach the wireless antennae. To prevent this, the addition of walls 45 in the plastic detail create a continuous barrier around the antennae. This is all integrated into the molded details of the plastic case of the bottom frame 2. By strategically locating foot mounting locations and creating electrostatic discharge isolation pockets, wireless antennae can be mounted in small set top boxes in a manner that optimizes the performance of the wireless antennae and minimizes the size of the set top box.
In an embodiment of the invention, a thin horizontally oriented set top box is provided which can include a plastic case forms an enclosure around internal electronics such as printed circuit board (pcb) assemblies and heatsinks as shown in
In some embodiments, the assembly of a rubber foot 21 is needed to stabilize the set top box on table top surfaces in which a hole in the mounting detail of the plastic bottom is provided to hold the rubber foot. Openings in plastic enclosures, however, are pathways for electrostatic discharge to reach internal electronics and damage components. Since the foot mounting details need to be as small as possible for aesthetics, this puts the wireless antennae close to the opening for the rubber foot 21. As such, to prevent electrostatic discharge from reaching the wireless antenna, the addition of walls in the plastic detail (which can include the U-shaped pockets 18 and/or slots 19 formed into the bottom frame 2) create a continuous barrier around the antennae. This is all integrated into the molded details of the plastic case.
It is important to note that 2 antennae locations in
In other words, the vertical and horizontal orientations of the antennae assemblies are shown to emphasize that the invention is intended to include both types of orientations in which the set top box can be oriented either vertically or horizontally; or the invention can include the use of two antennae of both orientations in each applicable corner as shown in
An aspect of the invention is shown in
Claims
1. An electronic device comprising:
- a vertically oriented front wall;
- a first side wall connected to a first end of the front wall to form a first corner;
- a second side wall connected to a second end of the front wall to form a second corner;
- a first antenna assembly positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the first corner, the first antenna assembly comprising a first elongated planar antenna body having a major axis, the first antenna assembly mounted in a first vertical plane with the major axis corresponding to the first vertical plane;
- a second antenna assembly positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the second corner, the second antenna assembly comprising a second elongated planar antenna body having a minor axis, the second antenna assembly mounted in a second vertical plane with the minor axis corresponding to the second vertical plane;
- a circuit board having a peripheral edge, wherein the first and second antenna assemblies are positioned outside the peripheral edge; and
- slots formed into a horizontal bottom frame into which ends of the first and second elongated planar antenna bodies are positioned, the slots forming a continuous barrier around the first and second elongated planar antenna bodies for electrostatic discharge protection;
- wherein the first antenna assembly is oriented perpendicularly to the second antenna assembly.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the first elongated planar antenna body is oriented parallel to the vertically oriented front wall and the second elongated planar antenna body is oriented parallel to the first or second side wall.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein
- the horizontal bottom frame connects to the vertical front wall and the first and second side walls.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising:
- two pairs of U-shaped pockets, each of the pairs of the U-shaped pockets having vertically oriented slots that face each other, wherein at least a portion of opposing ends of each the first and second elongated planar antenna bodies are positioned in the vertically oriented slots.
5. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a heat sink contacting the circuit board, the heat sink having a peripheral end.
6. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising a heat sink contacting the circuit board, and wherein the first and second elongated planar antenna bodies are positioned at least 20 mm from the peripheral end of the heat sink and the peripheral edge of the printed circuit board.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising vents on the first and second side walls that are only formed beyond the respective lateral depths of the respective first and second antenna assemblies of the respective side walls.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising:
- vents in the horizontal bottom frame in lateral positions outside lateral positions of the first and second antenna assemblies.
9. The electronic device of claim 1 comprising:
- vents in the horizontal bottom frame in lateral positions outside lateral positions of the first and second elongated planar antenna bodies and outside the peripheral edge of the circuit board.
10. A method of assembling an electronic device having two antenna assemblies comprising the steps of:
- providing an outer casing having a vertically oriented front wall, a first side wall connected to a first end of the front wall to form a first corner, and a second side wall connected to a second end of the front wall to form a second corner;
- positioning a circuit board within the outer casing, the circuit board having a peripheral edge; and
- positioning the two antenna assemblies outside the peripheral edge of the circuit board to prevent electrostatic discharge events associated with the circuit board and contents thereon, the two antenna assemblies having elongated planar antenna bodies mounted vertically in slots forming a continuous barrier around each of the elongated planar antenna bodies, wherein the two antenna assemblies are oriented perpendicularly to one another.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of orienting the two antenna assemblies orthogonally to one another such that a major axis of a first antenna is oriented vertically and a minor axis of the other antenna is oriented vertically.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein a first antenna of the two antenna assemblies is positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the first corner; and a second antenna of the two antenna assemblies is positioned inside the electronic device adjacent to the second corner.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Oct 22, 2014
Date of Patent: Nov 27, 2018
Patent Publication Number: 20160248145
Assignee: Interdigital CE Patent Holdings (Paris)
Inventors: Darin Bradley Ritter (Indianapolis, IN), Mickey Jay Hunt (Camby, IN), William P. Dernier (Indianapolis, IN)
Primary Examiner: Robert Karascony
Application Number: 15/031,729
International Classification: H01Q 1/22 (20060101); H01Q 21/06 (20060101); H01Q 1/00 (20060101); H01Q 21/00 (20060101); H05K 9/00 (20060101); H01Q 21/28 (20060101); H01Q 1/24 (20060101); H01Q 1/02 (20060101); H04N 5/64 (20060101);